Computing network for synchronized streaming of audiovisual content

Abstract

Disclosed is a system provides substantially synchronized streaming. The system comprises at least one server, in communication with a user profile database, and operable to communicate, over a network, with client devices connected to the Internet; and provide a media stream to the client devices such that the media stream is displayed, in a substantially synchronized manner, on display screens of the client devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for providing substantially synchronized streaming and enabling modifying the substantially synchronized streaming, the system comprising:
 at least one server, in communication with a user profile database, and operable to: 
 communicate, over a network, with client devices connected to Internet; 
 enable a first user to share a link associated with substantially synchronized streaming of a media stream, wherein the sharing of the link enables users associated with the client devices to join the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, wherein the sharing of the link occurs during when the first user is receiving the media stream; 
 provide the media stream to the client devices such that the media stream is displayed, in a substantially synchronized manner, on display screens of the client devices; 
 enable the users associated with the client devices to interact via the client devices such that user interactions are exchanged using the client devices simultaneously with display of the media stream on the display screens of the client devices, and such that the user interactions are displayed simultaneously with the media stream on the display screens of the client devices; 
 enable a second user to add a visual indicator on or to the media stream or in the user interactions such that the visual indicator added on or to the media stream or added in the user interactions is viewable by one or more of the users associated with the client devices; 
 receive a first instruction from the first user to assign or share, to or with the second user, a first control of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream; 
 in response to receiving the first instruction from the first user to assign or share, to or with the second user, the first control of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, enable the second user to control the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream for a third user receiving the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream; and 
 receive a second instruction from the second user to modify the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, thereby causing the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream to be modified for at least the third user, 
 wherein an ancillary content server or the at least one server provides ancillary content to a first client device, and 
 wherein the ancillary content is presented on the first client device. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one server is operable to schedule the providing of the media stream to the client devices in response to a user request to schedule a multi-user shared experiencing of the media stream. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interactions at least partially overlap the media stream. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media stream comprises video content and audio content. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one server is further operable to enable the first user to share the link associated with the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream with a network of the first user. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interactions are indexed with the media stream such that the user interactions are viewable with the media stream, on a computing device different from at least one of the client devices, during a future streaming of the media stream. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream is effected in part by receipt of synchronization feedback signals from the client devices. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein separate paths are provided for transmission of the media stream and the ancillary content. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ancillary content is associated with the first user. 
     
     
       10. A method for providing substantially synchronized streaming and enabling modifying the substantially synchronized streaming, the method comprising:
 communicating, by at least one server, over a network, with client devices connected to Internet; 
 enabling, by the at least one server, a first user to share a link associated with substantially synchronized streaming of media content, wherein the link enables users associated with the client devices to join substantially synchronized streaming of the media content, wherein the sharing of the link occurs during when the first user is receiving the media content; 
 providing, by the at least one server, the media content to the client devices such that the media content is displayed, in a substantially synchronized manner, on display screens of the client devices; 
 enabling, by the at least one server, the users associated with the client devices to interact via the client devices such that user interactions are exchanged using the client devices simultaneously with display of the media content on the display screens of the client devices, and such that the user interactions are displayed simultaneously with the media content on the display screens of the client devices; 
 enabling, by the at least one server, a second user to add a visual indicator on or to the media content or in the user interactions such that the visual indicator added on or to the media content or added in the user interactions is viewable by one or more of the users associated with the client devices; 
 receiving, by the at least one server, a first instruction from the first user to assign or share, to or with the second user, a first control of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content; 
 in response to receiving the first instruction from the first user to assign or share, to or with the second user, the first control of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content, enabling, by the at least one server, the second user to control the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content for a third user receiving the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content; and 
 receiving, by the at least one server, a second instruction from the second user to modify the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content, thereby causing the substantially synchronized streaming of the media content to be modified for at least the third user, 
 wherein an ancillary content server or the at least one server provides ancillary content for transmission to a first client device, and 
 wherein the ancillary content is presented on the first client device. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising scheduling, by the at least one server, the providing of the media content to the client devices in response to a user request to schedule a multi-user shared experiencing of the media content. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the media content comprises a substantially real-time media stream. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the client devices comprise at least one mobile device. 
     
     
       14. A system for providing substantially synchronized streaming and enabling manipulating the substantially synchronized streaming, the system comprising:
 means for communicating, over a network, with mobile client devices; 
 means for enabling a first user to share a link associated with substantially synchronized streaming of a media stream, wherein the link enables users associated with the mobile client devices to join the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, wherein the sharing of the link occurs during when the first user is receiving the media stream; 
 means for providing the media stream to the mobile client devices such that the media stream is displayed, in a substantially synchronized manner, on display screens of the mobile client devices; 
 means for enabling users associated with the mobile client devices to interact via the mobile client devices such that user interactions are exchanged using the mobile client devices simultaneously with display of the media stream on the display screens of the mobile client devices, and such that the user interactions are displayed simultaneously with the media stream on the display screens of the mobile client devices; 
 means for enabling a second user to add a visual indicator on or to the media stream or in the user interactions such that the visual indicator added on or to the media stream or added in the user interactions is viewable by one or more of the users associated with the mobile client devices; 
 means for receiving a first instruction from the first user to assign or share, to or with the second user, a first control of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream; 
 in response to receiving the first instruction from the first user to assign or share, to or with the second user, the first control of the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, means for enabling the second user to control the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream for a third user receiving the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream; 
 means for receiving a second instruction from the second user to manipulate the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream, thereby causing the substantially synchronized streaming of the media stream to be manipulated for at least the third user; and 
 means for providing ancillary content to a first client device such that the ancillary content is displayed on the first client device. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the user interactions do not at least partially overlap the media content. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the ancillary content server provides the ancillary content for the transmission to the first client device. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first control comprises at least one a rewind function, a fast forward function, a stop function, or a play function. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the visual indicator is added on or to the media content. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the visual indicator is added on or to the media content or added in the user interactions, using a marking tool. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the user interactions at least partially overlap the media content.